Defibrillators, Training Take Role in Campus Anti-Heart Attack Program

A new campus effort to encourage the spread of anti-heart attack defibrillators, and to train people how to use them properly, is off to a good start, reports Jim White, safety specialist for the Environmental Health and Safety Department (EH&S).

Begun last summer, departments and other units now have six of the approved Automated External Defibrillator (AED) devices on the main campus. They are currently located in the Chemistry Department, Davidson Library, Events Center, RecCen, Student Health Services, and UCen.

Defibrillators use electrical current to shock a heart that is in an irregular rhythm, known as ventricular fibrillation, and have long been part of the paramedic's tool kit. However, modern, portable units known as AEDs must be properly handled to be safe and effective.

Only one such device (the Access AED with voice prompts) has EH&S approval for department purchase, which requires prior authorization. Mandatory AED training must be scheduled within 14 days of purchase. See <www.ehs.ucsb.edu/units/aed>l; to find AED program procedures.

"We will provide training for the departments that participate in the AED program," says White. He also plans to add an AED component to the standard CPR classes EH&S offers free to employees every quarter.

EH&S coordinates and manages the AED program, which is based on campus units purchasing their own defibrillator, by gathering device information, training people in their use, monitoring compliance with safety regulations, and standardizing maintenance, according to Larry Parsons, director of EH&S. Dr. Cindy Bowers, director of Student Heath Services, is medical director for the AED program.